§ 59. Mrs. Braddockasked the Minister of Health if he will arrange for free travel warrants to be issued periodically to relatives living beyond a certain distance to enable them to visit patients in the three special hospitals.
§ Miss PittI would refer the hon. Lady to my right hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for St. Pancras, North (Mr. K. Robinson) on 26th July.
§ Mrs. BraddockIs not the Parliamentary Secretary aware that this is really a matter that requires to be looked at very carefully so that some sort of arrangement can be made for people living a great distance away from the special hospitals? In many instances it is imperative that relatives should visit people in these psychiatric hospitals, but sometimes they do not get an opportunity for years?
§ Miss PittYes, but I think the hon. Lady knows that relatives can obtain a return ticket at 1½ times the single fare. In fact, the special hospitals issue vouchers for these cheap travel facilities at the rate of about 1,500 a year, and there are no proposals to change the present arrangements.
§ Mr. DoddsDoes the Parliamentary Secretary not appreciate that with hospitals like Moss Side and Rampton some people travel for 14 hours and one-and-a-third of the fare for poor people is too much for them to pay?
§ Mr. K. RobinsonDoes the Parliamentary Secretary not appreciate that these hospitals draw their patients from all over the country and that these people are nearly all long-stay patients? There are many cases of hardship which, in many cases, cannot be met by the National Assistance Board arrangements. The present concession does not meet the requirements, and will the Parliamentary Secretary look at this matter again?
§ Miss PittI appreciate that. There are, however, facilities to help, and I think that the figure I gave of 1,500 such applications in a year shows what is being done to help any deserving cases.